When to Call Your Care Team About Contractions
Timing contractions can help you describe their pattern, but a timer cannot tell you whether you are in labor. When in doubt, call your maternity care team and ask.
The short answer
A contraction timer records how long each contraction lasts and how far apart they are. That record can make a phone call to your care team more useful. It cannot diagnose labor or tell you whether you or your baby are safe.
Use the contraction timer to record duration and spacing, then show or read the pattern to your care team.
How to time contractions
- Press start when a contraction begins.
- Press stop when it ends. That gives the duration.
- Repeat for several contractions. The interval is measured from the start of one contraction to the start of the next.
- Print or write down the record if you need to keep it.
Measuring from start to start is the convention care teams often use when they ask how far apart contractions are.
What the pattern can tell you
Contractions may be irregular at first and become longer, stronger, and closer together over time. That pattern varies widely. Your care team may give you specific instructions about when to call based on your pregnancy, how far you are from your due date, and your individual situation.
Follow the instructions you were given. Do not use a general timer pattern to override advice from your care team.
Contact your care team when needed
Call your maternity care team if contractions become regular or painful, especially before 37 weeks; if your waters break; if you have bleeding; or if your baby’s movements have decreased. If you are unsure, call and ask. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
What not to do
- Do not use a timer to decide that you are not in labor.
- Do not wait for a specific pattern if you feel something is wrong.
- Do not rely on a general rule instead of the instructions from your care team.
What to have ready when you call
Your care team may ask how long contractions last, how far apart they are, whether they are regular, whether your waters have broken, whether you have bleeding, and how your baby is moving. A printed timer record can help you answer.
Related guides
Questions about contraction timing
How is the interval measured?
From the start of one contraction to the start of the next. This is the spacing care teams often ask about, rather than the gap between the end of one contraction and the start of the next.
What if my contractions are irregular?
Irregular contractions can still be important. Call your care team if they are painful, you are less than 37 weeks pregnant, or something feels wrong. Do not wait for a perfect pattern.
When should I go to the hospital?
Follow the instructions from your maternity care team. If you have bleeding, your waters break, your baby’s movements decrease, you have severe pain, or you are worried, call them right away. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
General references
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